To ask nurses/ex-nurses for career advice I need a change!

[CarryOnNurse20]

I'm a qualified nurse with acute nursing experience (a long time ago), urology specialist role before kids and more recently practice education in HE (small university in the midlands). I am bored to death. Salary is stagnant and fairly low even if I start lecturing.
Part of me wants to go back into practice but the working hours/conditions again combined with low pay put me off.
I know its my fault for choosing nursing!! but has anyway had a career change and found thinking fulfilling/interesting and fairly well paid within the nursing field. I have a lot of transferable skills and qualifications.

I'm starting a specialist practitioner course in September - in public health (school nursing).
It's funded my trust so I'll be paid a full time band 5 salary whilst training, then once qualified I will be band 6.
It's non clinical and there is an opportunity to go term time only. No weekends, Bank Holidays, late shifts etc.

One of the best thing about nursing is that there are so many career options. I would bet that somewhere out there there is a role that you would enjoy and good knows there's plenty of vacancies.
Ask yourself what do you enjoy most about the job? Do you like to be in busy stressful situations e.g. A and E or do you like a slower pace and and an the possibility to form long term professional relationships with your patients e.g. community nursing (often more flexible hours as well). Could you change to another area e.g. paediatrics many trusts will take on adult trained nurses to work in paeds and give you support and training (although unlikely to the RSCN) and having been informally once offered a job with CAMHs so will MH.
Can you move area/ hospital on the basis that a change is a good as a rest?
There are I believe at least 40 000 nursing vaccines across the UK so loads of options, join your local hospital bank and usually you can work anywhere, our bank offers work in the community, endoscopy theatres A and E, bigger tertiary centres will offer more specialities generally if you're prepared to give it a go most places will happily have you, over the years Ive done a liver unit and surgical cardio thoracic ward and a neuro surgical ward places I had little experience of these areas but the basic principles remain the same. The willing are welcomed with open arms.
You could have a career change but IME what the NHS has made us into the people we are, what most of us stand for and believe is written through us. We are in a privileged and unique position we are paid to care for people often at the worst moments in their lives. we reach a physical and metaphorical hand and say let me care for you a complete stranger and support you at what is often the worst moment in your life. I have had other jobs but nothing is like being in the NHS in face to face roles with patients. Of course it has many negatives but it is what I do and understand changing careers is not that easy as you may think it is.

I have worked with many ex nurses who went research nursing into pharma. Clinical research associate roles are worth looking at, sales, trials unit nursing if you want something more clinical. Loads more options exist but those are the ones I am most familiar with.

I'm a community nurse and love it. The variety of clinical skills I have now is so much more than I had on the wards. As an idea I do all types of catheters, IV's, venepuncture, VAC pumps, drains, compression bandaging, chemo pumps, all wound care, syringe drivers and more. We have to be proficient in every type of nursing and be confident enough to assess and trust your judgement.

The hours are great - 1 weekend a month, mostly 8.30-5. It's also very much work to your own pace. The UK has a massive shortage of band 6 qualified District nurses - 18 month conversion course which you are seconded for. I'd never go back to ward work!

Thanks all for the ideas! @tiredwardsister thats so true whenever I look at anything else I always end up back to nursing as thats where my heart is really. @Nibletmum community sounds great its just waiting for training post to come up which I haven't seen yet.

It's normally put out by the universities in time for their cohort entries. September start was advertised with my trust in May /June. Might be best to go for a band 5 then apply for the band 6 when it comes up. The training is usually paid at mid point band 5 too. Good luck with whatever you decide X

www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/genetic-counsellor

Genetic counsellor?